SPEECH BY MR LIM HNG KIANG, MINISTER FOR TRADE & INDUSTRY, AT THE LAUNCH OF THE SINGAPORE SERVICE STAR, ON 04 DECEMBER 2008, 6.30PM, AT BELLINI GRANDE

Good evening ladies and gentlemen

It is my pleasure to join you today at the official launch of the Singapore Service Star.

Service quality is a key differentiating factor for the competitiveness of Singapore’s service industry, which is an important engine for economic growth. In recent years, there has been concerted national effort placed on improving service quality in Singapore. This was led by the Go the Extra Mile for Service, or GEMS for short, movement which was launched in 2005 to raise service levels and develop a culture of service excellence in Singapore.

Investing in service excellence

The recent global economic slowdown underscores the need for businesses to not only deliver quality goods but also provide quality service. We would like to encourage businesses to take this as an opportunity to regroup and rethink, and invest in capability development to improve service quality. Whether it is in the retail, F&B, transport, entertainment or hotel industries, higher service standards will drive repeated visits and induce a higher propensity to spend. This will catalyze faster growth, better positioning ourselves for the eventual recovery.

Service Quality in Singapore

In the Tourist Perception Survey conducted by the STB earlier this year, service quality ranked high as a key driver of tourist satisfaction, and in fact surpassed other factors such as variety of products and value for money. Tourists were observed to place extra emphasis on reliability of products and assurance of product quality, together with good service, product knowledge, and responsiveness to customer needs.

Already we are seeing the results from our efforts to boost service quality. In the recent Global Competitiveness Index published by the World Economic Forum, Singapore was ranked 10th out of 134 for “Degree of Customer Orientation” – which is a measure of how responsive our companies are to their customers’ needs. The same report ranked Singapore in 17th place just 3 years ago in 2005. This improvement is a positive development that gives us good cause for cheer. However, we cannot afford to rest on our laurels and we should endeavour to keep up our efforts to raise service levels.

About the Singapore Service Star

The Singapore Service Star which the STB is launching this evening, is an accreditation scheme that aims to recognise businesses which have consistently delivered good service and seeks to inspire the industry toward service excellence.

In order to qualify for the scheme, companies have to undergo several tests from mystery shoppers to ensure that they have satisfied service quality standards. Once accredited, each member will be subjected to mystery shopping tests throughout the year. More importantly, results of these tests will be conveyed to members to help them identify and address specific gaps to improve upon. To ensure consistent service delivery standards, membership will be renewable on an annual basis.

For a start, this accreditation scheme will cover three industries – retail, nightspots and F&B. The STB will consider a phased expansion into other sectors further down the road.

So far, about 300 establishments have already joined as Charter Members.These establishments were selected based on their history of providing good service and they have also achieved good scores under the Singapore Service Star tests.We are looking to increase this number to 1,000 by the end of 2009.

Members of the Singapore Service Star can take pride in this mark of accomplishment which sets them apart from other establishments in the industry. As a sign of distinction, members will be given a Singapore Service Star decal to display prominently at their premises, instilling greater confidence in tourists and customers who patronise the store.

Furthermore, members will also enjoy benefits such as customised training programmes and be given opportunities to participate in study trips abroad for greater exposure to top service organisations.Through continued emphasis on service delivery, training and inculcation of best practices, we aim to build up a culture of service excellence in local establishments, such that service quality becomes synonymous with how we are Uniquely Singapore.

Conclusion

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all Charter Members for receiving the Singapore Service Star today. As the pioneer batch of Singapore Service Star members, you will be a role model for the industry to follow and take cue from. For consumers, look out for the Star decal when you next go out and you can be assured that where the decal is displayed, the establishment stands out in providing excellent service.

Now, it is my pleasure to declare the Singapore Service Star officially launched.

Thank you.